What a worry! Eight-year-old Jeremiah Lucky plays the frog prince in their third grade play and the princess wants to kiss him! Can he leap away in time? After summer begins, Jeremiah has a bigger worry—the cutest puppy ever is lost. Jeremiah’s guardian angel appears. Will their plan work?

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Chapter One
Jeremiah Lucky ran down the street to his friend Tommy Morgan’s house.
Tommy saw him and yelled, “Five minutes until school starts.” He waited on the sidewalk by his mailbox, twirling his favorite baseball cap.
Jeremiah skidded to a stop. Just then Tommy’s black and white dog, Perky, raced around the side of Tommy’s house. Barking and wiggling and obviously pleased with himself for his escape from the backyard, Perky jumped up and tried to lick Tommy’s face.
“Oops, forgot to latch the gate. Gotta take Perky back.”
Perky scampered in a little circle around Tommy and Jeremiah and stopped and licked Jeremiah’s hand.
“Sorry, Perky, dogs can’t go to school.” Jeremiah rubbed the dog behind his ears. He walked with Tommy to the back and helped put Perky inside the fence. Once the gate latch was securely fastened, they ran to school.
Kids streamed off a bus, laughing and talking in the bright, sunlit morning. Jeremiah and Tommy joined the crowd and scurried up the steps and into Bradford Street Primary School.
“Only three days next week,” Jeremiah whispered to Tommy as they hung up their backpacks.
“That makes this the last Friday ever in third grade. Summer, here I come.” Tommy pumped both hands in the air.
Jeremiah scooted into his seat. The bell rang and the class stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. He put his hand on his heart and spoke the words loudly and clearly, like his dad had taught him. His dad had been a firefighter, and before that he’d been a sailor in the United States Navy. Jeremiah had only been six when his dad lost his life fighting a fire, but he remembered him saying, “Always be proud of your country, son.”
After their very last spelling test and a funny cartoon video, Having a Safe Summer, Miss Salem said, “Please move your desks to the back of the room. It’s time to work on our play.”
For the past two weeks, Jeremiah’s class had been practicing their play The Super, Duper, Extra-Smart Frog Prince. Next Tuesday they would perform in front of the whole school.
The desks scraped and bumped, making so much noise Miss Salem didn’t hear Johnny Stalnecker in the back of the room singing “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog.”
Two other kids joined in the song.
“Wish I had a different part,” Jeremiah muttered to Tommy.
Miss Salem clapped her hands. “Much too loud, class,” she said in her stern voice.
Jeremiah was pretty good at a lot of things, but he was absolutely the best in his class at leaping like a frog. When Miss Salem asked him to be the prince who turns into a frog, he’d said yes immediately. In the play Prince William the Bold gets tired of ruling his kingdom and asks a wizard to give him a break and turn him into a frog.

(continued)

REVIEWS:

Midwest Book Review--Children's Bookwatch
"Jeremiah Lucky Finds Puppy Love" is a beautiful short chapter book about a 9 year old boy who both loses and finds a beloved puppy and a friend. Jeremiah has many adventures and exciting experiences as a frog king in a school play, but he dreads the kissing attentions of his play princess. Also in the story is Jeremiah's growing responsibility as his mother works to support both of them after his father passes away. The short chapters and interesting action of each chapter make "Jeremiah Finds Puppy Love" an exciting, easy book to read for tweens and elementary readers. Enchanting, humorous black and white illustrations at chapter ends and beginnings highlight the narrative. "Jeremiah Lucky Finds Puppy Love" is an excellent reading choice for elementary and early chapter readers, with themes of love, growth, loss, and finding again. http://www.midwestbookreview.com